After their sons got involved in a physical skirmish on the court Saturday night, Robertson head coach David Bustos and his West Las Vegas counterpart Ernie Rodriguez exchanged words and had to be separated, highlighting the first East-West boys’ basketball clash of the year.

Robertson, which got 17 points apiece from Antonio Arguello, Justin Bustos and Ryan Tafoya, ended up grabbing an 80-60 victory before a near-capacity crowd at Gillie Lopez Gym. The Cardinals, currently ranked fifth in Class 3A, moved to 2-0 in District 2-3A while the Dons fell to 0-2.

Jamie Allen scored 18 points to lead four Lady Cardinals in double figures as Robertson ran away with a 78-45 victory over crosstown rival West Las Vegas Friday night at Mike Marr Gym.

As would be the case in the East-West boys’ game the following evening across the Gallinas River, Friday’s game was tough and physical and loaded with effort from both sides. Allen notably labored for every inside basket, her path to the hoop encumbered with Lady Don defenders.

A sluggish start to Saturday night’s game for New Mexico Highlands, coupled with dual 19-point efforts from Fort Lewis’ Matt Billups and Matt Morris, spelled doom for the Cowboys in Durango, Colo.

Fort Lewis won 87-70 in a game that pushed the host Skyhawks ahead of Highlands in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings with four weeks remaining in the regular season. Fort Lewis is 11-9 overall and 9-7 in the RMAC, while NMHU is 10-11 and 8-9 — part of a three-way tie for seventh place in the 14-team league.

DURANGO, Colo. — The seventh-ranked Fort Lewis women’s basketball team (18-2, 15-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) opened up a 20-0 lead en route to a 96-56 win over New Mexico Highlands (11-10, 7-10) Saturday at Whalen Gymnasium.

“It was almost the difference to the game right from the very beginning,” said seventh-year FLC head coach Mark Kellogg, whose team didn’t allow the Cowgirls to score in the first 7:28.

A new season — District 2-3A — has begun for local high school basketball teams, and as of Wednesday night, Robertson and West Las Vegas are both undefeated in girls’ hoops, at least within the district schedule.

That will change Friday night, however, as the Lady Cardinals host their crosstown rivals at Mike Marr Gym.